Using your corporate platform for global good

Welcome to Legacy Beyond Profits, where we explore what it really means to build a business that leaves a mark for the right reasons.

Corporate influence has never been more powerful. Today's multinational leaders command resources that rival small nations, operate across more borders than most ambassadors, and shape global conversations through decisions that affect billions of lives. Yet few executives recognize the diplomatic potential of their platforms, treating corporate influence merely as competitive advantage rather than transformative force for global progress.

Let’s analyse how visionary leaders transcend traditional business boundaries by wielding corporate influence as diplomatic tools—proving that the most enduring legacies emerge when business success becomes a vehicle for global progress rather than an end in itself.

Building legacy through corporate statecraft

1. Selecting authentic influence opportunities

Why do some CEOs command global respect while others are dismissed as opportunists? The difference lies in choosing battles where their voice carries genuine credibility and their resources can create measurable impact. Smart leaders leverage specific industry expertise and operational scale rather than generic corporate social responsibility, ensuring contributions address root causes rather than symptoms.

Authentic influence requires matching company capabilities to global challenges where traditional approaches have failed, creating unique value that other actors cannot deliver.

2. Convening coalition-building platforms

Marc Benioff doesn't just attend Davos—he shapes the agenda. Tim Cook doesn't just comment on privacy—he builds industry coalitions around it. These forums enable breakthrough solutions by combining corporate resources, government authority, and civil society expertise in ways that single-actor approaches cannot accomplish.

Corporate diplomats understand that their neutral business perspective often enables dialogue between parties with political or ideological conflicts, creating space for progress where formal diplomacy has failed.

3. Practicing Track II diplomacy

When governments can't talk, business leaders often can. This approach preserves economic partnerships and models collaborative values that can inform future government policies while protecting business interests during geopolitical instability.

Successful Track II diplomacy requires cultural sensitivity, political neutrality, and relationship building that transcends immediate business transactions or quarterly performance pressures.

4. Communicating with global credibility

How do you speak on human rights without sounding preachy? How do you advocate for climate action without appearing opportunistic? The answer lies in demonstrating expertise through action rather than rhetoric while acknowledging the limitations of business solutions to complex global challenges.

Credible corporate diplomats build trust through consistent commitment to chosen issues, measurable progress on specific goals, and transparency about both successes and failures.

5. Institutionalizing diplomatic capability

Legacy-minded leaders don't want their diplomatic efforts to die with their tenure. This approach ensures that diplomatic relationships and commitments survive leadership changes while building organizational capabilities for continued global influence.

Leading companies integrate diplomatic considerations into strategic planning, board oversight, and executive development programs, treating global citizenship as core business competency rather than supplementary activity.

How Paul Polman transformed Unilever into a global diplomatic force

Picture this: 2009, global financial crisis, and Paul Polman walks into Unilever as the new CEO. The company sells soap and ice cream in 190 countries but has zero influence on global policy. Fast-forward a decade, and Polman is addressing the UN General Assembly about climate change while Unilever's sustainable brands outgrow the rest of the business by 69%.

How did a consumer goods executive become one of the world's most influential voices on sustainability?

Polman's breakthrough was recognizing that Unilever's global footprint provided unique insights that governments and NGOs couldn't access. Operations across emerging markets revealed firsthand how poverty, water scarcity, and climate impacts affected real customers in real communities. This positioned the company as a knowledgeable partner rather than an outside observer in global development discussions.

His coalition-building approach transformed industry dynamics by making sustainability profitable rather than philanthropic. Polman used Unilever's platform to convene peer CEOs, demonstrating how sustainable practices enhanced business performance. The Sustainable Living Plan became a competitive template that rivals adopted, creating industry transformation through business leadership rather than regulatory mandate.

The diplomatic dividend was enormous. Under Polman's leadership, Unilever's advocacy work positioned it as a trusted partner for governments, NGOs, and international organizations. The company's voice on climate and development issues carried weight because it was backed by operational expertise and measurable commitments rather than aspirational statements.

More importantly for shareholders: this diplomatic approach created sustainable competitive advantages. The company's reputation for authentic sustainability leadership enabled premium positioning, attracted top talent, and built stakeholder loyalty that purely financial strategies could not achieve.

Polman proved that corporate diplomacy enhances rather than constrains business performance. His legacy demonstrates how business relationships can enable progress on issues where government negotiations have stalled, while commercial success validates sustainable business models for other organizations to follow.

From strategy to legacy

The most successful CEOs of the next decade won't just run companies—they'll shape civilization. In an era where corporate resources often exceed government budgets and business networks span more borders than diplomatic corps, the leaders who recognize their platforms as instruments of global progress will build legacies that endure far beyond stock performance.

When business success becomes a platform for global progress, executives create impact that extends beyond shareholder returns while building competitive advantages that purely commercial strategies cannot replicate. The future belongs to leaders bold enough to wield corporate influence as a force for global good.